Tag: UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz

With UFC 133 set to pop off tomorrow night in Philly, CagePotato founding editor Ben Goldstein and weekend writer Seth Falvo are locking horns for a furious ‘Evans vs. Ortiz’-flavored debate. So how far can Tito take this “comeback” thing? How can you make some quick cash by betting on the fights? And will Ben or Seth have to change their screen-name to something humiliating on Sunday? It’s time for battle, and the stakes have never been higher…

BG: Well yeah, obviously. If Tito can pull off another gigantic upset on Saturday, he’ll have completed the first two acts of a comeback story that you usually only see in movies. The only logical next step is the thrilling, Rocky-esque finale, where the belt is on the line, and the odds are stacked against him, and his twin sons are cageside, sucking their thumbs in unison, held in the arms of a very concerned-looking Donald Trump. The bottom line is, the UFC would be fools to sit on such an incredible storyline, especially when it involves one of their all-time biggest stars.

Besides, who would Tito really be line-jumping in this scenario? The winner of Mauricio Rua vs. Forrest Griffin? Meh, they’ve had their shots. And we all know that Lyoto Machida will be on ice for a while due to his insolence. So until Dan Henderson gets re-signed by the UFC for one last title run at 205, “yes” is the only answer here.

SF: That all sounds right to me, Ben. Rashad Evans has been a perennial contender at light-heavyweight. A victory over him should give you a title shot, no matter who you are. Yet Rashad Evans doesn’t necessarily deserve a title shot if he beats Tito Ortiz. Ortiz’s victory over Ryan Bader didn’t elevate him to contender status; it prevented him from getting fired. He’s still 1-4-1 in his last six going into Saturday night. Frankly, he’s a step down in competition from Phil Davis, as far as the current light-heavyweight rankings are concerned. If Evans finishes this fight quickly, then I fully expect him to get the next shot at the title. But if he allows this fight to go to the judges, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get overlooked.

Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, that you have $100. Looking at the fight odds for UFC 133, what’s the surest way to increase your stack?